When Your Brain Can’t Keep Up

You know that feeling when you’re scrolling through your phone and suddenly realize you’ve spent three hours reading contradictory articles about something you don’t actually care about?

Welcome to the flood.

Your brain—this magnificent, evolved organ that kept your ancestors alive by tracking maybe 100 pieces of information a day—is now trying to process between 4,000 and 10,000 pieces of information daily. News alerts. Social media posts. TikToks. “Fact checks” that contradict other “fact checks.” AI-generated videos of people saying things they never said.

Your brain is drowning. And here’s the part that should actually terrify you: A lot of people know this and are weaponizing it.

But here’s the good news—and this is where it gets interesting—there’s a pattern to all this chaos. There’s a strategy behind the confusion. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it. More importantly, you can protect yourself from it.

In this talk, we’re diving into why simplicity is your superpower in an age of overwhelming complexity. Why the saints who faced their own floods of misinformation didn’t get lost in the details. And why God’s strategy has always been radically simple while Satan’s strategy has always been needlessly complicated.

Spoiler alert: It changes everything about how you consume information.

Let’s talk about the flood.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE 16

The Flood Fiasco

Introduction: You’re Standing in a River and Calling It Rain

Let me ask you something: How many pieces of “information” do you encounter in a single day?

Not important information. Not information you seek out. Just… information. News alerts. Social media posts. Videos. Emails. Ads. Comments. Memes. Hot takes. “Fact checks” that contradict other “fact checks.”

If you’re like most people, you’re processing somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 pieces of information daily. Your brain—evolved to process maybe 100 pieces of information in a day—is drowning.

And here’s what’s terrifying: A significant portion of what you’re processing isn’t just false. It’s designed to be false. It’s engineered to be so complicated, so contradictory, so overwhelming that you give up trying to understand it.

Welcome to the flood.

The Biblical Image: More Than Just a Metaphor

“So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.” (Revelation 12:15-16)

This isn’t just poetic language. This is describing a strategy. The dragon—Satan—doesn’t just tell one lie. The dragon floods you with complications, contradictions, and competing narratives. The goal isn’t to convince you of one false thing. The goal is to overwhelm you so completely that you can’t distinguish truth from falsehood anymore.

Here’s the key insight: God makes it simple. Satan makes it complicated.

God says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) So simple. So clear. A child can understand it.

Satan says: “Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘love.’ And which neighbor? And how do you define ‘yourself’? And have you considered the historical context? And what about these competing interpretations? And here are 47 experts who disagree…” Complicated. Confusing. Designed to paralyze.

When you’re drowning in complications, you can’t think clearly. When you’re overwhelmed by contradictions, you can’t discern. When you’re flooded with competing narratives, you lose your footing.

That’s the strategy. And it’s working on way too many decent people.

The Scale of the Problem: Complexity as a Weapon

Let’s get specific about what’s happening:

AI-Generated Content Is Exploding

In 2024, it’s estimated that over 90% of the internet will contain AI-generated content within the next few years. Not all of it is malicious. But an increasing amount of it is designed specifically to confuse and deceive.

Deep fakes. Synthetic images. AI-written articles that sound plausible but contain subtle falsehoods buried in layers of complexity. AI-generated videos of public figures saying things they never said. AI-generated audio of your grandmother’s voice asking for money.

And here’s the thing that should horrify you: It’s getting better. The AI is learning. The fakes are becoming harder to detect. The lies are becoming more sophisticated and more complicated.

Misinformation Spreads Faster Than Truth

Research from MIT found that false information spreads six times faster on social media than true information. Not because people are stupid. But because:

1. 1. False information is usually more complicated than truth
   2. False information triggers stronger emotional reactions
   3. False information creates confusion that keeps people engaged
   4. False information is designed to go viral by being sensational and convoluted

True information? True information is often simple. It doesn’t require layers of explanation. It doesn’t trigger the same emotional response. It doesn’t keep you endlessly scrolling, trying to figure out what’s actually true.

So the algorithm—designed to maximize engagement—promotes the complicated lie over the simple truth. Not because the algorithm is evil. But because engagement is what the algorithm measures. And confusion is more engaging than clarity.

You’re Being Targeted Specifically With Complexity

This isn’t accidental. Sophisticated actors—foreign governments, corporations, ideological movements—are using AI and data analytics to target you specifically with misinformation designed to overwhelm your ability to think.

They know your political leanings. They know your fears. They know your hopes. They know what will confuse you most. And they’re crafting messages—complex, contradictory, layered messages—designed to paralyze your thinking.

This isn’t conspiracy theory. This is documented. This is happening right now.

Why This Works: Your Brain Against the Flood of Complexity

Remember from our last talk? Your brain is biased. Your brain expects to see what it’s already seen before. Your brain filters reality through your expectations.

Now imagine someone weaponizing that against you with overwhelming complexity.

Imagine an AI that knows your biases better than you do. An AI that can generate content specifically designed to confuse you. An AI that can create a flood of “evidence”—contradictory, layered, complicated evidence—so overwhelming that you simply give up trying to understand it.

This is what’s happening.

The Overwhelm as a Tool

Here’s the insidious part: Even if you want to understand what’s true, the sheer volume and complexity makes it impossible. You’d need a PhD in multiple fields to fact-check half of what you encounter. You’d need to spend 12 hours a day just trying to untangle one complicated narrative.

So you give up. You stop trying to discern. You just… accept whatever feels true, or you accept nothing at all.

This is the flood strategy in action. The goal isn’t to convince you of one lie. The goal is to overwhelm you so completely that you surrender your capacity to think.

The Emotional Hijack Through Confusion

AI-generated misinformation is increasingly designed to trigger confusion and emotional responses. Outrage mixed with uncertainty. Fear mixed with contradictory information. Righteous anger mixed with doubt about what you’re actually angry about.

Why? Because when you’re confused and emotionally activated, your prefrontal cortex—the thinking part of your brain—goes completely offline. Your amygdala—the emotional alarm system—takes over. You stop thinking. You start reacting. And a reacting, confused brain is much easier to manipulate than a thinking brain.

The Spiritual Dimension: Satan’s Strategy Is Complication

Now, here’s where this gets theologically significant.

Satan has always been a liar. Jesus said: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

But Satan’s strategy isn’t just to lie. Satan’s strategy is to complicate. To confuse. To create so many competing narratives that you can’t find solid ground anywhere.

Look at the Garden: Satan didn’t say, “God is a liar.” Satan said, “Did God really say…?” One question. One seed of doubt. One complication.

And it worked.

Now Satan has a tool that can generate infinite complications. Satan can create competing narratives. Satan can bury truth under layers of complexity. Satan can make it so hard to think clearly that most people just give up.

This isn’t metaphorical. This is a literal multiplication of Satan’s ancient strategy: the flood of complication designed to drown your clarity.

And the goal is exactly what it’s always been: to separate you from truth. To make you doubt what’s real. To make you so confused that you can’t follow Jesus. Because Jesus is the truth. And if you can’t recognize truth because you’re drowning in complications, you can’t recognize Him.

The Divine Contrast: God’s Strategy Is Simplicity

Here’s what we need to understand: God’s truth is simple. God’s way is clear. God makes it easy.

Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Not complicated. Not overwhelming. Easy. Light.

Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Two commandments. Everything else hangs on these two. Simple.

Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Not “I am one of many ways.” Not “I am a complicated philosophical framework you need to study for years.” Not “I am a mystery you’ll never understand.”

I am the way. Simple. Clear. Direct.

God’s strategy is always simplicity. God wants you to understand. God wants you to know Him. God makes it possible for a child to grasp the essentials.

Satan’s strategy is always complication. Satan wants you confused. Satan wants you overwhelmed. Satan makes it so complicated that you give up trying to understand anything.

Saints Who Recognized the Difference

Before we talk about solutions, let’s look at people who faced overwhelming deception and found their way through by recognizing the difference between God’s simplicity and Satan’s complications.

The Power of One Simple Truth

Saint Athanasius lived in the 4th century when the Arian heresy was flooding the Church. Arius taught that Jesus was created—that He wasn’t truly God. And this teaching spread like wildfire.

But here’s what’s important: The Arian argument was complicated. It was philosophically sophisticated. It required layers of theological reasoning. It had answers for every objection. It created endless debate.

Athanasius stood alone and said something simple: “Jesus is God.”

That’s it. Not a complicated theological system. Not layers of philosophical argument. Just one simple truth.

He was exiled. He was hunted. He was declared a heretic by the very institutions that should have supported him. And yet he held to that one simple truth.

Here’s what’s remarkable: In the midst of all the complicated theological arguments swirling around him, Athanasius held onto something so simple that it couldn’t be shaken.

Athanasius wrote: “They are always talking, and yet never saying anything; they have much to say, and yet say nothing that is to the point.”

Does that sound familiar? Does that sound like endless social media debates where people talk in circles and never reach clarity?

Athanasius survived the flood by doing something radical: He refused to be swept away by complication. He held to one simple, unshakeable truth: Jesus is God. Everything else flowed from that.

He didn’t try to answer every objection. He didn’t try to engage in endless debate. He simply held to what was simple and true.

The Simplicity of Obedience

Saint Joan of Arc lived in a time of chaos—the Hundred Years’ War, political intrigue, religious corruption. There were multiple competing claims to authority. There were false prophets. There were people claiming divine authority who had none.

The world around her was incredibly complicated. Armies fought. Nobles schemed. The Church was divided. Nothing was clear.

And Joan heard voices. Voices she believed were from God. Voices that told her to do something completely unexpected: lead an army.

Now, in that chaotic environment, how did Joan know her voices were real and not demonic deception?

Here’s what’s crucial: Joan didn’t get lost in the complications around her. Joan had a simple test: Do these voices call me to love God and serve others? Do they align with the simple teachings of Scripture? Do they call me toward obedience and away from sin?

When the voices passed that simple test, she followed them. She didn’t need to understand everything. She didn’t need to solve all the theological complications. She just needed to know: Is this calling me toward God or away from Him?

Simple. Clear. Actionable.

In our world of AI-generated misinformation and endless complications, Joan’s approach is more relevant than ever: Don’t get lost in the details. Ask the simple question: Does this call me toward God or away from Him?

Truth Is Simple at Its Core

Thomas Aquinas lived in a time when Islamic philosophy was flooding the Christian world. New ideas. New perspectives. New challenges to Christian teaching. It was complicated. It was overwhelming.

Aquinas could have responded by rejecting it all, by retreating into simple faith without understanding.

Instead, Aquinas did something radical: He engaged with it deeply. He studied it. He thought about it. And he showed that beneath all the complications, truth is simple.

Aquinas understood something crucial: Complications might obscure truth, but they can’t destroy it. Truth, at its core, is simple and elegant.

Aquinas wrote: “The natural desire to know cannot be frustrated. The desire to know is natural to man. Therefore, man’s ultimate happiness consists in the knowledge of God.”

Aquinas believed that truth calls to us. That our deepest nature is oriented toward truth. That even in a flood of complication, truth has a particular simplicity and resonance that we can learn to recognize.

He also wrote: “Small things can be known perfectly. Great things cannot be known perfectly, but they can be known simply.”

That’s the key: You don’t need to understand everything perfectly. But you can know the great truths simply. God is love. Jesus is God. Love your neighbor. Seek truth.

Simple. Clear. True.

The Problem With Getting Lost in Complexity

Now, you might be thinking: “Okay, so I need to understand the complicated arguments so I can refute them.”

Here’s the problem: That’s exactly what Satan wants.

Satan wants you lost in complexity. Satan wants you debating endlessly. Satan wants you so focused on untangling complicated arguments that you lose sight of simple truth.

This is a classic deception strategy: Get your opponent so focused on defending against complicated attacks that they forget what they’re actually defending.

You can spend your entire life trying to fact-check every complicated claim. You can spend your entire life debating every nuance. And at the end of it, you’ll be exhausted, confused, and no closer to truth.

Meanwhile, the simple truth has been sitting right in front of you the whole time: God loves you. Jesus is the way. Love your neighbor.

How to Not Drown: Return to Simplicity

Practice 1: Establish One Simple, Non-Negotiable Truth

Athanasius didn’t try to fact-check everything. He held to one simple truth: Jesus is God.

You need to do the same. What is the simplest, most fundamental truth you’re not willing to surrender? For Christians, it should be: God loves me. Jesus is God. Jesus died and rose again.

That’s it. Not complicated theology. Not layers of argument. Just one simple, bedrock truth.

When you’re flooded with information, when you’re confused about what’s true, you retreat to this core. You ask: Does this align with the simple truth that God loves me and Jesus is God? If it doesn’t, if it contradicts that core truth, then it’s false—no matter how complicated the argument seems.

This isn’t about rejecting new information. It’s about having an anchor. It’s about having something so simple and so solid that the flood can’t sweep you away.

Your practice: What is your one simple, non-negotiable truth? Write it down. Make it so simple a child could understand it. Then, when you’re confused about a claim, ask: Does this align with my simple truth? If not, be suspicious. Don’t get lost trying to untangle the complicated argument. Just recognize: This contradicts what I know to be true.

Practice 2: Slow Down and Simplify Your Information Diet

The flood works because it’s fast and complicated. Information moves at the speed of algorithms. Your brain can’t keep up. Narratives are layered and contradictory. Your mind gets lost.

So slow down. Simplify.

Instead of scrolling endlessly through complicated feeds, read one simple thing deeply. Instead of trying to understand every perspective, focus on what’s essential. Instead of reacting immediately to complicated claims, wait and ask: Is this actually true, or is it just complicated?

Jesus modeled this: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) Stillness. Slowness. Simplicity.

When you slow down, when you simplify, you give your prefrontal cortex time to engage. You give your amygdala time to calm. You give yourself space to actually think clearly.

Your practice: For one week, commit to consuming half the information you normally consume. Read fewer articles. Watch fewer videos. Scroll less. When you do consume information, ask: Is this simple and clear, or is it complicated and confusing? If it’s the latter, skip it. Notice what happens to your clarity.

Practice 3: Recognize Complexity as a Warning Sign

Here’s a simple rule: If it’s true, it can be explained simply.

Not simplistically—that’s different. Simple doesn’t mean dumbed-down. But true things can be explained in a way that’s clear and accessible.

False things? False things require layers of explanation. They require you to accept complicated premises. They require endless qualification and nuance. They create more questions than answers.

When you encounter a claim that’s incredibly complicated, that requires you to accept multiple premises, that creates confusion rather than clarity—that’s a warning sign.

Not a definitive proof that it’s false. But a warning sign that you should be careful.

Jesus said: “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Truth liberates. Truth clarifies. Truth simplifies.

Deception? Deception complicates. Deception confuses. Deception enslaves.

Your practice: This week, notice the difference between claims that are simple and claims that are complicated. Notice how you feel when you encounter each type. Simple truths should feel clarifying and liberating. Complicated deceptions should feel confusing and exhausting. Trust that difference.

Practice 4: Seek Wisdom From People Who Simplify, Not Complicate

The best spiritual directors, the best teachers, the best mentors—they make things simpler, not more complicated.

When you’re confused, a good spiritual director doesn’t add more layers of complexity. A good spiritual director helps you see the simple truth underneath the complication.

When you’re overwhelmed, a good teacher doesn’t give you more information. A good teacher helps you focus on what actually matters.

When you’re lost, a good mentor doesn’t give you a complicated map. A good mentor points you toward home.

So seek wisdom from people like that. People who simplify. People who clarify. People who help you see what’s essential.

Avoid people who complicate. Avoid people who create more questions than they answer. Avoid people who seem to enjoy confusion.

Your practice: Identify one person in your life who simplifies things for you. Who helps you see clearly. Who points you toward what matters. Spend more time with that person. Notice how different your thinking becomes.

Practice 5: Test Claims Against Scripture—The Simplest Source

When you encounter a major claim, ask: What does Scripture say about this?

Not what do complicated theological arguments say. Not what do competing experts say. But what does Scripture—the simplest, most direct revelation of God’s truth—say?

Scripture isn’t always easy to understand. But it’s always simple in its core claims. God loves you. Love your neighbor. Seek truth. Follow Jesus.

If a claim contradicts Scripture, it’s false. If a claim requires you to twist Scripture to make it fit, it’s false. If a claim is so complicated that it obscures what Scripture clearly teaches, it’s false.

Your practice: When you encounter a major claim, ask: What does Scripture say about this? If you don’t know, find out. Look it up. Ask someone. Don’t get lost in complicated arguments. Just ask: What does God’s Word say?

Practice 6: Build Community That Values Clarity Over Complexity

You can’t do this alone. The flood is too powerful. Your brain is too vulnerable.

But in community? In a community that values simplicity and clarity? You become much stronger.

When you’re confused, your community can help you see clearly. When you’re being overwhelmed by complexity, your community can help you focus on what matters. When you’re lost in the details, your community can point you toward home.

But here’s the key: Make sure it’s a community that values clarity. Not a community that prides itself on being complicated or intellectual. Not a community that seems to enjoy confusion. But a community that says, “Let’s figure out what’s actually true and what’s actually important.”

Your practice: Find or create a small group—maybe 4-6 people—who are committed to clarity and simplicity. When someone brings a complicated claim, help each other ask: Is this actually true? Is it actually important? Can it be explained simply? This is your defense against the flood.

Practice 7: Ask the Simple Questions

When you’re overwhelmed by complexity, don’t try to understand everything. Ask simple questions:

• • Does this call me toward God or away from Him?
  • Does this make me more loving or less loving?
  • Does this simplify my life or complicate it?
  • Does this align with Scripture?
  • Can this be explained simply, or does it require endless complication?
  • Am I more at peace after hearing this, or more confused?
  • Is this helping me know God better, or is it obscuring God?

These simple questions can cut through almost any complication.

Your practice: When you encounter a confusing claim or a complicated narrative, stop. Take a breath. Ask one of these simple questions. Notice how quickly it clarifies things.

The Ultimate Defense: The Holy Spirit and Simplicity

Here’s something that might sound old-fashioned: The Holy Spirit can help you discern truth—and the Holy Spirit works through simplicity, not complication.

Jesus said: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit doesn’t give you a complicated theological system. The Holy Spirit gives you discernment. The capacity to recognize truth. The ability to sense when something is false, even if you can’t explain why.

And this discernment often comes as a simple knowing. A quiet sense that something isn’t right. A clear feeling that something is true.

This isn’t mystical nonsense. This is how the early Christians survived in a world of competing religions, philosophies, and claims. They had the Holy Spirit. They had discernment. And they didn’t get lost in complexity.

But here’s the catch: You have to actually listen to the Holy Spirit. You have to slow down enough to hear it. You have to be in prayer. You have to be in community. You have to be reading Scripture.

You can’t hear the Holy Spirit if you’re drowning in the flood of complication. You have to come up for air first. You have to simplify. You have to get quiet.

The Earth Helps the Woman

Remember that image from Revelation? “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.”

What is “the earth” in this context? It’s not literal earth. It’s the created order. It’s the natural world. It’s reality itself.

In other words: Truth is real. Reality is solid. Simplicity endures.

The complicated lies might flood. But they can’t drown the truth. They can’t drown you if you’re holding onto what’s simple and real.

This is why Athanasius could stand alone. This is why Joan of Arc could navigate chaos. This is why Aquinas could see through complication to simple truth.

They held onto something so simple, so real, so true that no flood of complication could sweep them away.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We’re living in a time of unprecedented complication. The flood is real. The AI-generated misinformation is real. The algorithmic amplification of complexity is real.

But we’re not helpless. We’re not doomed to drown.

We have access to simplicity. We have access to truth. We have access to Scripture. We have access to community. We have access to the Holy Spirit. We have 2,000 years of saints who faced their own floods of complication and found their way through by holding onto what’s simple.

We have Jesus, who is the truth—and whose truth is simple enough for a child to understand.

So don’t panic. Don’t get lost in the complications. Don’t surrender your capacity to think clearly.

Instead: Slow down. Simplify. Hold onto one simple truth. Ask simple questions. Seek clarity. Build community around simplicity.

And trust that the earth—reality itself, truth itself, God Himself—is stronger than the flood.

God makes it simple. Satan makes it complicated. Choose simplicity.

May God grant you clarity in this age of confusion, and may you help others find their way back to simplicity and truth as well.

ACTION ITEMS

5 THINGS YOU CAN START DOING NOW

1. Identify Your One Non-Negotiable Truth

Write down the simplest, most fundamental truth you’re unwilling to surrender. For Christians, this might be: “God loves me” or “Jesus is God.” When you’re confused about a claim, ask: Does this align with my core truth? If not, be suspicious—no matter how complicated the argument seems.

2. Cut Your Information Intake in Half This Week

Stop scrolling endlessly. Read fewer articles. Watch fewer videos. When you do consume information, ask yourself: Is this simple and clear, or complicated and confusing? If it’s the latter, skip it. Notice how your clarity improves.

3. Find One Person Who Simplifies, Not Complicates

Identify someone in your life who helps you see clearly and points you toward what actually matters. Spend more time with that person. Notice how different your thinking becomes when you’re around someone who values simplicity over complexity.

4. Create a “Simple Questions” Card

Write down these three questions on a card and keep it handy:

• • Does this call me toward God or away from Him?
  • Can this be explained simply, or does it require endless complication?
  • Am I more at peace after hearing this, or more confused?

Use these when you encounter confusing claims or complicated narratives.

5. Start a Clarity Conversation

Text or call 3-4 people you trust and ask: “Want to meet weekly to help each other figure out what’s actually true and what’s actually important?” Build a small community committed to clarity over complexity. You can’t navigate the flood alone—but you can navigate it together.